New cluster at IIT-Madras as over 50 test positive for COVID

Chennai, After 58 students of the Rajah Muthiah Medical College at Annamalai university campus and 17 at IIT Madras tested Covid-19 positive, both the campuses have now been turned into clusters.

According to information available, 22 boys and 33 girls from the three hostels of the college, tested positive. The students, according to the state health department, are admitted to the Rajah Muthiah Medical College hospital and the college campus has turned into a containment zone.

The health department officials said that the Annamalai university conducted a test as a precautionary measure on Monday and all the 58 students tested positive. On Tuesday 500 samples were tested and results are awaited.


The first-year MBBS students, who tested negative, were asked by the college to vacate the campus and the University in a circular issued on Wednesday said that the college will resume classes only on January 23. The students have been also directed to immediately vacate their hostel rooms.

In a related development students of IIT Madras also tested Covid-19 positive. Seventeen students and other staff and administrative members of the premier institution have tested positive. The Tamil Nadu health department officials said that 58 people, including 17 students, were tested positive at IIT Madras and that they have been sent to the government institutional quarantine/ home quarantine as advised by the government testing facility. The family members of those tested positive are placed under home quarantine.

IIT Madras said that it had informed all students, who had reached the college campus after January 1, that they would be allowed inside classrooms and laboratories after they quarantine themselves for a week or produce Covid-19 negative test results.